Spring of Life

In 2011, if one was staying in Singapore, southern Johor in Malaysia, or Batam, he had the opportunity to tune in to a new radio programme called "Times of Refreshing".  This programme was run on Mondays to Fridays, from 8pm - 8.30pm (Singapore time).

One night, the Swallow's mate led the family in prayer for the radio programme.  The rest of the family was tickled, but contained their laughter, until the end of the prayer.  When everyone said a hearty 'Amen', the young ones were quick to point out to their father that he had called the radio programme "Spring of Life" instead.

Giving more thought to the incident, it was easy to understand why the Swallow's mate had made the error.  Indeed, the Lord God is the Spring of Life to all who seek Him.  He is the Source of refreshment and nourishment.

Isaiah 58 : 11 (NIV)
The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

John 4 : 13 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Every man has a God-shaped vacuum in his heart which is waiting to be filled with this Spring of Life, but many seek instead to fill it with idols of all shapes and sizes.  Even the Swallow, as a Christian, is not exempted because as long as she is in her physical body, the sinful nature is present and she has to actively seek her Lord, daily, to remove idols like family, money, self or pride (these are just some of them...) from the throne of her heart.

Jeremiah 2 : 13 (NIV)
My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

In the eleven verses of Psalm 42, its writers, the sons of Korah, wrote "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (verses 1 & 2), and repeatedly made mention of the soul being downcast (twice in verse 5 & once in verse 11), but they also reminded its readers twice to "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God." (verse 5 & 11)

Let all who seek to find the true source of sustenance, to bring them through their days on earth, find Him - the Lord God, the Spring of Life eternal and everlasting.

Edited in 2017 as the radio programme had been discontinued.